Merlin: A Magical Musical
by EmrysTheMerlin
Summary: It doesn't seem that unusual when Gwaine sings in the tavern. But then everyone starts singing a secret, a deep truth they never wanted to share. Arthur seems to be the only one immune. Merlin knows that he's in trouble. When one secret is revealed things may get a bit out of hand. Will this lead to the truth at last? Reveal Fic/ Song Fic. Different song for every part.
1. Gwaine

**Authors note: Ok stupid ideas are silly and won't leave me alone. This one has been bugging me for a while. Musical Merlin. I own nothing, none of the songs or characters. This has no connection to my other Merlin stories. This first song is by the Beatles, With A Little Help from My Friends. I'm messing with the lyrics a little here for space sake. Italicized lines are sung. This is a reveal story. Please review.**

1. My Friends

Arthur should have realized something was wrong that first night. But they were in the tavern, strange things happened there all the time especially when Gwaine was involved. So when he started to sing after his sixth pint it wasn't that surprising. He had almost fallen off his chair and Merlin pulled him back up onto the bench. He looked dazedly at him and grinned.

_"What would you do if I sang out a tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?"_ Merlin took a swig from his own tankard and grinned. They all heard the music coming from nowhere but most were too inebriated to notice.

"_Lend me your ear and I'll sing you a song, and I'll try not to sing out of key! Oh I get by with a little help from my friends! Oh I get high with a little help from my friends! Oh I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends!" _The other knights gathered around the table laughed and Lancelot, who was normally a quiet drunk, responded singing himself.

"_Do ya need anybody?"_ Gwaine nodded to a pretty blonde across the tavern.

"_I need somebody to love!"_ Merlin was watching a pretty dark haired bar maid with a wistful eye.

"_Could it be anybody?"_ He sounded like he was asking himself but Gwaine threw an arm around his shoulder and answered.

"_I just need someone to love. Would you believe in a love at first sight?" _Merlin nodded, still watching the fair skinned dark haired girl. This time his singing was louder.

"_Yeah I'm certain that it happens all the time."_ He was grinning a genuine grin now. All the knights joined in this time.

"_Oh I get by with a little help from my friends. I get high with a little help from my friends. I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends." _Then Gwaine took up the last line on his own.

"_Yes I get by with a little help from my friends." _He grinned and laid his head down on the table. No one in the tavern reacted to this sudden singing number or the fact that the disembodied music had disappeared again. Arthur noticed but said nothing. Maybe he'd had a touch too much to drink himself. Merlin stood and laid down some coins on the table.

"Come on. Somebody help me get him out of here." Lancelot grinned and stood setting down his own coins and slinging Gwaine's left arm over his shoulder. Merlin took his right and he grinned groggily.

"You guys really are my best friends."

"Course we are Gwaine. You liven the place up." Merlin grinned as he steered Gwaine out the door with Lancelot's help.


	2. Lancelot

**Authors Note: Ok should have mentioned, each chapter is a song for a person. 1 was Gwaine obviously. This one will be Lancelot. Yeah I'm being a bit cliché here but it is about him and Gwen. Well how he feels. Very one sided so yeah. Enjoy. The song is Live Alone and Like It by Steven Sondheim. Again messing with the lyrics and shortening the song. I own nothing!**

2. Denial

Gwaine looked at Lancelot on the way to his room. He slurred but managed words.

"Lance, you're always waiting for the right girl aren't you? Or do you like being alone." Merlin winced in sympathy for his friend. He knew the details of the reason Lancelot didn't have anyone. He wanted Gwen, but knew he couldn't have her so he never tried. The music started again. Not as harsh as in the tavern. Lancelot looked a little annoyed.

"_Live alone and like it, free as the birds in the trees high above the briars. Live alone and like it, doing whatever you please. As your heart desires. Free to hang around or fly at any old time." _They reached Gwaine's room and Merlin asked his friend, somehow managing not to sing.

"But why? That really isn't the best option I mean it would get lonely wouldn't it?" Gwaine grinned at Lancelot.

"No I get it!" Then he started singing with Lance.

"_No equivocation, most of all no guaranties, that can be your motto. Free of obligation, only the murmuring and breeze as an obbligato. Live alone and like it why is that such a crime?" _Merlin laughed.

"Come on guys that can't be the answer."

_"Free to call the tunes, free to say if you're gonna work or play. You can have the moon, but you don't have to have it night and day."_ Merlin giggled a little as Gwaine stumbled over the stair in his room.

"_Anyway, on your own with only you to concern yourself, doesn't mean you're lonely. Just that you're free. Live alone and like it, don't come down from that tree. That's the answer for me. That's the answer for me." _Lancelot looked Merlin straight in the face.

_"That's the answer for me."_ They pushed Gwaine down on the bed and left.

Merlin threw an arm around Lancelot's shoulder. He had had a little more to drink than Lance and was weaving a little.

"You know Lance, that's not the answer every time. I know you can't have her but at least she's alive." Lancelot knew about Freya and nodded.

"Yeah I guess you're right. It's just I know I like her, but I know I can never have her. But hey at least she's happy." Merlin smiled and nodded.

"So what about this music thing huh?" Lance asked and Merlin shook his head.

"Magic for sure. But it's weird; normally I'm immune to these things, but not this time. See this is weird. I've never heard of this kind of thing before. I mean musical magic? What was whoever did this thinking?" Lancelot got Merlin back to his room as he babbled.

"We'll figure it out when you're a bit more sober." Merlin grinned.

"It's going to be a hell of a day tomorrow."


	3. Robert and Derik OR Protective Arthur

**Authors Note: I'm creating characters here. Because I need to use this song! Ok it's far too perfect and it gives me an excuse to write protective Arthur. The song is Everybody Ought to Have a Maid from Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Forum. I'm changing it to Everybody Ought to have a Man, for obvious reasons. I OWN NOTHING!**

3. Taking Advantage of Others Servants

The next day most of them had a horrible hangover, well all the Knights of the Round Table did. But Sir Robert and Sir Derik were fine. They stood on the training field watching as Merlin carried Arthur's equipment to the bench where the weapons were readied. Sir Derik was new to Camelot and hadn't actually met Merlin yet. Arthur knew that Derik had a reputation when it came to servants, male and female alike, and he didn't want that creepy sod within a foot of Merlin.

He was bashing away at the practice dummy when he heard Robert and Derik talking.

"Who's the eye candy in the scarf?" Derik asked and Arthur hit the dummy a little harder than normal. Robert answered with a scoff.

"Watch your step there, that's Prince Arthur's manservant Merlin. He may be attractive but I'm pretty certain he's off limits." Derik looked rather put out.

"Lucky sod of a prince. He gets all the best things doesn't he? I wish my father would let me have something like that!" He grinned like a cat that had caught a fish. Robert grinned similarly. The music started.

"_Everybody ought to have a man. Everybody ought to have a working boy; everybody ought to have a lurking boy to putter around the house._ Hey Merlin come over here." Merlin looked up and smiled that aggravating smile and began to walk toward the suspiciously motivated knights. Arthur called over to him before he reached them.

"No Merlin, you're helping Percival today." Merlin frowned. Percival grinned.

"I'll go easy on you Merlin." Derik leered.

"I wouldn't. _Everybody ought to have a man. Everybody ought to have a menial, consistently congenial and quieter than a mouse." _They laughed and Arthur glared they stifled it and turned back to watching Merlin hold the shield for Percival. Robert grinned.

"_Oh, oh, wouldn't he be delicious tiding up the dishes neat as a pin."_ Derik smiled and continues the song.

"_Oh, oh, wouldn't he be delightful sweeping out, sleeping in." _The meaning of his statement was clear and Arthur didn't like it one bit. The two knights were singing together now.

_"Everybody ought to have a man. Someone who you hire when you're short of help. To offer you the sort of help you never get from a spouse." _The knights grinned and continued to watch the oblivious manservant. He fell under the blows of the much larger knight. Percival grinned and pulled him to his feet. He laughed and brushed a hand through his hair. Robert looked a little jealous.

"_Oh, Oh, think of him at the dustbin!" _Derik cut in his grin growing more sinister by the second.

"_Especially when he's just been traipsing about. Oh, oh, wouldn't he be delightful living in. Giving out!"_There was no mistaking their meaning this time when they shared a mutual look after that last statement. Arthur was just about ready to go over to the pair and castrate them both with an axe. Then the music faded and the knights continued to laugh with each other and watch the servant make a fool of himself.

Arthur took those two knights aside and beat the living daylights out of them. He knew they both knew why. They never looked twice at Merlin again. Later that day the Knights of the Round Table headed off on their latest hunting trip. None of them expected it to be as eventful as it would be.


	4. Merlin

**Authors Note: Ok I know you've all been waiting for Merlin's. Well here's the first one. Being Alive by Steven Sondheim. I am changing the lyrics again here. Any Freylin lovers will love this. And this is the first bit of revealing in this one. I OWN NOTHING!**

4. What You Get

How the knights got onto the subject of love around their campfire was a mystery. Why Gwaine was saying it was a waste of time was not.

"Come on! Love is useless! It's a waste of time, and seriously what do you get when you fall in love? What do you get?" Merlin looked a bit affronted. That was when the music started.

_"What do you get?! What do you get?" _He smiled wistfully.

_"Someone to hold you to close. Someone to hurt you too deep. Someone to sit in your chair, to ruin your sleep." _His smile widened but it held all the sadness in the world. Arthur had never seen that look on someone so young. Whenever he asked about his mother his father would wear that look but no one younger had ever. Those blue eyes of his looked like there was a lifetime of loss behind them. He nodded.

"That's true, from what I've heard."

"But there's more than that. Do you think that's all it is? Because it's not. There's so much more than that." Gwaine managed to get his question in first.

" But Merlin, you've never had that. I mean you're just as alone as me and Lance. And you've actually got reasons for not being with someone, but come to think of it you haven't got one reason to be alone."

"But I do. _Someone needed me too much. Somebody knew me too well. Somebody pulled me up short and put me through hell. But she gave me support, for being alive. She made me alive."_ Arthur looked at him shocked.

"She?" Merlin nodded, tears glistening in his eyes.

"_Someone I had to let in. Someone whose feelings I spared. Someone who like it or not, she got me to share, a little a lot." _Leon raised an eyebrow.

"She got you to open up!? She's a miracle worker."

"_Someone to crowd me with love. Someone to force me to care. Someone to make me come through, I'd always be there as frightened as you of being alive, being alive." _Merlin looked on the verge of revealing something big. His eyes were terrified and before any of them could say anything he ran away from the camp and the fire out into the woods. Arthur bolted after him. He caught up to him at the edge of a lake. But Merlin didn't notice him. The other knights were not far behind him. All paused with him when the music continued.

"_You made me confused, mocked me with praise. Let me be used. You varied my days. But alone is alone not alive. I'll always be there as frightened as you, you help me survive, being alive." _The music ended and the lake began to glow. Arthur made to lunge forward, pull Merlin out of the way, save him from the magic that would rise and steal him away like all the others. Lancelot stopped him.

"Lancelot what!" He shushed him and pointed at the lake which was glowing brighter.


	5. Merlin and Freya

**Authors Note: Ok Merlin Part 2 actual reveal here! Arthur meeting Freya! OMG! Song is Under Your Spell from Buffy the Musical. I OWN NOTHING!**

5. Enchanting Love

Merlin's sobs ceased and his head shot up when he noticed the lake glowing. Arthur expected him to do the rational thing, run away. Not the exact opposite. Merlin scrambled to his feet and walked out onto the lake. A girl rose out of the lake and embraced him.

"Freya! Oh I've missed you so much! Something weird is going on." She put her finger to his lips.

"Shh. Not now. I heard you. You doubt that you helped me, that you saved me."

"You died Freya, how is that helping!" She quieted him again as the music started again.

"Before you nothing was right. Nothing was the way it should have been. _I lived my life in shadow, never the sun on my face. It didn't seem so bad though, I figured that was my place." _She smiled a dazzling smile and he returned it.

"_Now I'm bathed in light! Something just seems so right!"_ The two on the lake began to sing together and Arthur watched astonished as bright gold lights shone in Merlin's eyes and were echoed around them in the air.

"_I'm under your spell. How else can it be anyone would notice me? It's magic I can tell, how you've set me free, brought me out so easily._" Merlin began to sing by himself.

"_I saw a world enchanted spirits and charms in the air. I always took for granted that I was the only one there. But your power shone brighter than any I know."_ They joined once again in song as Arthur took in what he was seeing. Merlin had magic. And a girlfriend! A magical girlfriend at that!

_"I'm under your spell, nothing I can do. You can take my soul with you. You worked your charm so well. Finally I knew, everything I dreamed was true, you make me believe." _The girl, Freya, looked up into Merlin's eyes.

"_The moon to the tide, I love you beyond all of time!" _Merlin smiled the happiest smile Arthur had ever seen and joined the song once more.

"_I'm under your spell, eyes so like the sea, around you I can be all of me. And fly up to the heights, the moment you are in my sights. You make me believe! You make me complete, you make me complete. _I love you Freya. You're the greatest thing that could ever have happened to me."


	6. Morgana

**Authors Note: Ok! Reveal itself over! Now it's time for Merlin to find out that Arthur knows! And various other things to happen. BWAHAHAHA! Eyes on Fire by Blue Foundation is the song. I own nothing!**

6. Burning Destiny

"You have to go now Merlin. You have a lot to do. Like finding out what is causing the music." Freya laughed and walked Merlin to the edge of the lake. He kissed her slowly and deeply.

"I miss you so much! Freya someday we'll be able to be together forever." She pushed him gently.

"That's a long way off. I don't want you to join me for a long time! I miss you but I can wait. You're not going to be ready to join me for a long time alright?" He nodded sadly and she stood on her toes and kissed him. Then he stepped off the lake and she stepped back into it. They kept in contact the as long as they could.

Then Merlin turned around and froze. The look on his face was one of sheer terror. He gaped for a moment and it took Arthur and the stunned knights, save Lancelot, to realize what he saw. Them, he saw them.

There was a second of pure silence, the whole world even the animals around them in the forest and the trees themselves froze seemingly in time. Merlin and Lancelot seemed to exchange a momentary glance as if they had a plan for what to do in such a moment as this one. Oh God! Lancelot knew! That threw Arthur for a moment and distracted him enough for Merlin to make his move. The instant his eyes left his servant he was off, racing like a deer from a hunter.

"Merlin!" Arthur called after him. He grabbed Lancelot's wrist before he could bolt after the boy.

"You knew?! How long have you known? Magic, Merlin has magic! And you knew." Traitors! A small bit of his mind screamed at him. But that was the bit that still lived under his father's thumb. He was regent now and king in all but title.

"I have known since the griffon. Merlin killed it, not me. It could only be killed with magic. All he's ever done he's done to protect you, and Camelot." Arthur held up his hands.

"No I want to hear this from Merlin. I'm not going to hurt him Lancelot. I just want to know why he hid this as long as he did. I want to hear it from him." Lancelot nodded.

"I trust you Arthur, so I'll tell you where he is. We have three meeting places we have set up in case something like this ever happened. This was one. He's going to the third one." Gwaine piped up, annoyed that Merlin hadn't shared this with him but worried for his friend.

"How do you know?" Lancelot put up three fingers.

"He used the signal, none of you were looking for it." They raced off after their wayward friend.

Merlin was racing through the shrubbery with no clue of where he was when the music started. A woman's vocalizing in the dark forest made it ever more terrifying than it had been. Suddenly and without warning there was a yank somewhere near his feet and he shouted as he was pulled into a net. Then the singing started.

_"I seek you out, flay you alive."_ He knew that voice.

"Morgana." Stepping out of the shadows she put a finger to his lips.

_"One more word and you won't survive. And I'm not scared of your stolen power; see right through you any hour."_ Merlin froze when she pulled a knife. Her smile was absolutely feral as she pressed it to his throat. She knew. Then she whispered in his ear.

"You play with the power of a throne Merlin. It's a dangerous game; someone should have told you that." Then before he could do so much as breathe she plunged her dagger into his leg. He screamed as pain exploded there. In all honesty the cut wasn't that deep and there was no risk of him bleeding out on the ground or anything but she had soaked this dagger in a special potion meant to inhibit even the strongest of men. She would play with him a while before she killed him.

"_I won't soothe your pain." _She crooned as she dragged him to his feet, still tangled in the net, by his hair. He groaned and tried to pull away but the potion was starting to work on him, his eyes were losing focus.

"_I won't ease your strain. _He's not coming for you this time._ You'll be waiting in vain."_ She thought she was lying but to Merlin those words rang with horrible truth. Arthur wouldn't come for him this time, not after that rather spectacular display of magic back there with Freya. Maybe Lancelot would figure out what had happened when Merlin never arrived at their meeting place. He felt himself go limp as he clung to that sliver of hope.

Morgana smiled as her captive gave up the fight with the potion. She levitated him in front of her. He was rather pretty like this, venerable and fragile. So easy to bend, even easier to break. He could prove very useful to her, as something other than a pawn.

"_And just in time, in the right place, suddenly I will play my ace. I will soothe your pain, I will ease your strain. You're still waiting in vain. You've got something for me to gain." _ And with many interesting ideas for ways to use her new toy she floated him off back to her hovel.


	7. Morgana Control

**Authors Note: HAHA! No one saw that coming! So yeah twisting and turning and brushing far closer to shipping than I intended, well ok it was intended in the Merlin Freya bit. So the song in this one is In Control by Nemesea. I own nothing!**

7. Blackness Rising

Morgana flicked her wrist and tied the still unconscious Merlin to her wall instead of her ceiling this time. He was positioned so he was on his knees. He would be uncomfortable but she didn't really care so that was ok. She knew he knew more than he was saying, had ever said. Emrys had come to kill the fammora so they had some kind of connection. They had to. That damned Catha hadn't told her anything about Emrys, but if Giaus knew then Merlin would too. And Merlin would be easier to break.

She knew what she would do; she would reach into him and play. Pull his darkest fears and happiest memories from his mind. Play until he was hers to manipulate as she wished. She made sure he was secure before she went to her herbs and magical stock. She sorted through it for a minute before she found it. A fine silver powder that would open his mind to her. She took a pinch and blew it careful not to inhale as it flew across the room and circled his head.

She waited as he breathed evenly in his sleep. It took him five minutes to breathe in the whole pinch. When she was sure he was done she put down her powder and listened as the music she had created to wreak havoc started.

"_Can you hear me?"_ Merlin's eyes opened, though she knew he remained soundly asleep. A dull silver tainted the blue of his eyes as he nodded forced to respond by her spell.

"_You've lost and I control you."_ She strode across the room and cupped his chin in her hand. She placed a forefinger on his forehead and he twitched as she reached into his memories.

"_Here in your mind, in your dreams I will stay forever. You will become less than one, after I am done." _ She pulled out nightmare and moments of happiness, moments with her. Moments when she was weak, before she learned of her power.

"_Fear should be yours in this world full of whispering voices." _She wanted him to suffer, wanted to force him to live in a world of his own nightmares. Yet all the ones she could reach were truly a memory. The one of him poisoning her. He really did regret that she realized with a twinge. She changed her mind and pulled at different memories. She smiled as she removed those that marked her as the enemy and twisted them to put Arthur in her shoes.

"_Here I am, you will be mine!"_ She felt his mind twitch under her ministrations. It was hiding things from her, actively. He was awake and fighting her spell, though her potion held him still physically it could do nothing to stop his mind.

"_So here you are, wide awake. You won't give up fighting. Can you hear me? You've lost and I control you, you won't escape all your nightmares will reign free. Cause you are afraid of me." _Two promising memories rose to the surface though Merlin fought to keep them back. Arthur fighting a beast with the body of a panther and the wings of a bat, a girl transforming into the beast against her will. Morgana only needed to change Arthurs face a little, add malicious intent to Merlin's thoughts of him and his mind thrashed under her magic. She was hurting him with actions more than pain.

Then the second memory. A man falling to an enemy sword to protect Merlin. One word echoed in this memory, unspoken but utterly sad. 'father'. Morgana twisted the vision so it was Arthur's blade that killed Merlin's father, not some nameless minion of a worthless king. As she released the memories back into his mind and his eyes drifted closed he began to cry. She ran her hand along his cheek.

_"Your greatest fear, in your darkest dream I'm here. Your will is lost and you can't run from me."_ Then she whispered into his ear.

"_Fear is the key all your life it has locked your doors. Day after day I am here to stay." _ Then smiling she released his bonds and floated the still unconscious boy to the bed. He wouldn't be her enemy when he woke. As she stroked his hair out of his face she noticed that something was missing. His scarf was gone.


	8. Merlin and Morgana

**Authors Note: Hahaha! There will be puppetry. Next song is the reprise of Under Your Spell from Buffy the Musical just the female part. I own nothing!**

8. Broken Strings

A few hours later while Morgana was busy plotting Arthur's downfall she heard a noise from her bed. She looked over to see Merlin rubbing his eyes and looking around confused.

"Morgana? What happened?" She was cautious.

"What do you remember Merlin?" He shook his head.

"Not much. I was running from someone and you saved me. As usual." She smiled and on the inside, danced with joy. Her spell had worked. Merlin thought he had been living here with her, helping her not Arthur. She had missed his cheeky smile.

"It's ok Merlin but I was worried about you. No wandering off anymore alright." He nodded. Her loyal puppy ran a hand through his hair and stood. There was still a hint of silver in his eyes. There would be for as long as the spell lasted. As he reached her the alarm spell she had set up to warn her of intruders went off.

"What's that?" He hissed in pain as he put weight on his left leg and it crumpled beneath him. The wound was still there. She ran to him.

"I'm so sorry Merlin I forgot about that. I was trying to track the men who hurt you." He smiled at her through his pain.

"It's ok, after all you are only human it happens." She placed her hand on his wound and spoke a spell, healing him and purging her potion from his system.

"The intruder, its Arthur isn't it?" Morgana nodded cautious. Merlin grabbed her hand.

"Let me come with you. I could help, please let me help you." Oh how she had wanted to hear that from someone ever since her sister had died. Genuine concern was something she didn't encounter often.

"No Merlin, my love you must stay here you aren't fully healed. " He began to protest but she put a finger to his lips.

" I can handle Arthur and a few knights. Stay here, I'll be back I promise." He smiled and she left.

They had been looking for hours, six to be exact. When Merlin had failed to turn up at the fork in the south road where the third meeting place was set within an hour Lancelot told them it was time to look for him.

"He said if an hour went by and he wasn't at the meeting point then something happened. We need to go look for him." Arthur had nodded; he was worried for his friend. Who knew how much trouble he could get in running alone through the forest at night?

It took them an hour to find the net, tangled up in its rope was Merlin's scarf. Gwaine swore. The sun was rising and they could all see the trail of blood droplets that lead off into the woods. They all followed it without question.

Several hours later they were nearing a valley when Leon and Elyan were knocked off their feet by an unseen force. Morgana's laughter reached their ears and all drew their weapons.

"You've never come quite so close to my home before. I'd be honored but you don't deserve it."

"Where's Merlin!?" Arthur called out angrier now than he could remember being in quite some time. Morgana laughed again.

"Brother dear I always did like taking your toys. Well Merlin is no exception. He's mine now, and you can't have him back." Arthur practically growled.

Meanwhile back in the hut Merlin had grown bored. He looked across the room and saw a mirror. His eyes looked wrong. He stood and walked over to the mirror bumping the table of herbs on his way there. A poof of silver dust rose from the open bag on the table. He gazed at it then at his eyes and understood.

"No. Morgana how could you?" He grabbed the bag off the table and ran out of the hut.

Morgana laughed as she tossed Gwaine and Lancelot aside. Arthur was the only one left standing. Then she heard a twig snap and music begin behind her.

"Who's there!?" Merlin stepped into the dawning light and threw the bag at her feet. The knights pulled themselves to their feet.

"_I'm under your spell, god how can this be? Playing with my memory?!"_ His voice was choked with tears and his still silver tinted eyes were dripping.

"_You've seen I've been through hell! God why can't you see, they'll be nothing left of me!"_ She took a step closer to him reaching out a hand to comfort him, to keep him, to keep the last person she could have even by force, by her side. He stepped back from her.

"Merlin, I…"

"No! You don't get to talk Morgana! _You made me believe! But we both know the truth."_ Tears welled in her eyes then the anger rose. She lashed out and her magic smacked him hard against a stone nearby. He fell and did not rise again.


	9. Arthur and Merlin FINAL PART

**Authors note: So it was Morgana causing trouble the whole time! BWAHHAHAHAHAH! Anyway, this is the final part here. The song is Here's to Us from Glee. I own nothing!**

9. We Stand Together

Arthur shot his crossbow without thinking. It hit Morgana in the shoulder and she screamed. She whirled and Lancelot grabbed Merlin's limp form.

"Retreat!" Arthur called and the knights all scrambled in different directions. Arthur heard Lancelot behind him and Morgana's cried of pain and frustration. They made it away and found their camp from the day before relatively easily. The others joined them soon and flopped down on their sleeping rolls. None had gotten any sleep and all were tired and a bit hungry. And most of all they were worried.

Merlin hadn't woken or stirred this whole time. There was a slight silver glow around his head. It was fading but his breathing was shallow and scared. Arthur looked around at his tired knights, his friends.

"We'll rest for about an hour. Lancelot how's Merlin?"

"Alive, lump on his head the size of my fist but other than that he seems ok. Well that and that light. I don't like it Arthur." Merlin moaned.

"Arthur?" He moaned his eyes closed. Arthur reached out for his hand and touched it with is fingertips. Part of his brain was screaming, No don't trust him he lied he's magic.

"arthur…" He sounded further away and Arthur wrapped his hand around Merlin's in some desperate attempt to anchor his friend to this world, to stop him from following Freya. His breathing strengthened and a golden glow began to fight the silver one. Arthur let go and suddenly Merlin stopped breathing. Then he wheezed and seemed to choke on the air as the silver glow spread to his throat and grew brighter.

"Morgana! Come on Merlin fight her!" Lancelot was angry he could do nothing to help. Arthur took Merlin's hand again and his breathing eased again and the golden glow returned, fighting the silver one.

"Arthur!" Merlin's eyes flickered open. The colors there fought silver against gold. It was unnerving but beautiful in a strange ethereal way.

"I have to tell you, I'm sorry. I never wanted you to find out like that. I wanted to tell you. I'm sorry."

"You're an idiot Merlin. What did she do to you?" He grimaced and shook.

"She played with my memories. She toyed with my mind, made me think you were my enemy. That you meant to hurt Freya, that you killed my father." Arthur was about to protest when Merlin continued.

"You didn't do any of that. I'm the one who's made the mistakes. I'm the one whose fault it is their gone." Tears fell, silver and gold from Merlin's eyes.

"No. It's not your fault. You aren't evil, magic through you, can't be evil. I probably owe you my life a few dozen times over. Thank you." Those last two words were all the push Merlin needed to fight her and win. His eyes flashed a dazzling gold and the silver vanished.

"You're welcome." He smiled and promptly passed out.

A few days later he was fully healed and they had had time to hear the whole story. They had laughed and cried and been shocked. They had felt finally that they knew their friend. Merlin had insisted Gwen was present as she would kill Arthur and himself if she found out from anyone but them. So he had told the whole story, from his first day in Camelot to that very day. Gwen had hugged him till he couldn't breathe when she found out he had saved her father from the plague Nimueh had sent, then offered himself to the pyre to save her. By the time he was done Arthur's only comment was,

"You really are an idiot." All, save Gwen, agreed when he said he needed a stiff drink. Several hours of laughter later they all heard the music. Merlin started the song.

_"We could just go home right now, or maybe we could stick around for just one more drink, oh yeah." _ Gwaine grinned and joined in pulling Elyan back onto the bench.

"_Get another bottle out, let's shoot the breeze. Sit back down for just one more drink, oh yeah." _Lancelot raised his tankard.

"Here's_ to us, here's to love. All the times that we messed up."_ He inclined his tankard at Merlin.

"_Here's to you fill the glass." _Elyan, Leon, and Percival joined in then.

"_Cause the last few days have gone to fast! So let's give them hell, wish everybody well. Here's to us, here's to us."_ And finally for the first time in those crazy days of singing, Arthur looked right at Merlin, smiled and sang.

"_We stuck it out this far together, put our dreams through the shredder. Let's toast cause things got better."_ The knights were stunned and fell silent but Merlin grinned and sang along with his other half.

_"And everything could change like that, and all these years go by so fast. But nothing lasts forever." _The knights grinned and joined back in. Everyone else in the pub was oblivious to the magic that swirled around the knights, warlock and prince.

"_Here's to us. Fill the glass, cause the last few days have gone too fast. If they give ya hell, tell them forget themselves. Here's to us!" _Merlin stood and raised his tankard.

"_Here's to all that we've kissed, and to all that we've missed. To the biggest mistakes that we just wouldn't trade. Here's to wall breaking down, without us breaking down. To whatever's coming our way!" _The knights all toasted with a loud unsung chorus of,

"Here's to us!" Morgana's spell had broken and they hadn't. Everything would be alright. Merlin smiled as he looked around at the knights and prince who had become his brothers.


End file.
